Etan Patz Murder: A Tip Of The Cap To Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance

Pedro Hernandez probably wouldn't be behind bars right now if not for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance.

More than 30 years after the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz, it seems authorities finally have their man -- and props must go out to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance for his decision to reopen a case that sat cold for more than three decades.

Vance didn't crack the case, nor did he lead police to the alleged killer, 51-year-old Pedro Hernandez. But the attention the Patz case got last month -- when authorities investigated another possible suspect -- inspired Hernandez's brother-in-law to tell police that Hernandez confessed to him and other family members that he'd murdered a child in Manhattan about the same time Patz was first reported missing. That probably never would have happened had Vance not reopened the case in 2010.

Manhattan District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Erin Duggan tells the Voice that Vance doesn't consider cold cases like Patz's to be a lost cause. At a press conference last year to announce the indictment of Rodney Alcala -- a convicted California serial killer who authorities say is responsible for at least two murders in New York in the 1970s -- Vance told reporters that "cold cases should not be forgotten cases."

Duggan says Vance first met Patz's father, Stan Patz, while running
for D.A. in 2010 and felt that a fresh look at the case might turn up
new leads. He was right, and now an alleged kid-killer is behind bars.

Patz's isn't the only case that's getting looked at with a fresh set
of eyes -- the D.A.'s office's Cold Case Unit (created by Vance after he took office)
currently is looking into more than 3,000 unsolved homicide cases to see
if new scientific advancements, like DNA technology, will turn up
new leads.

Since Vance took office, the Cold Case Unit has solved several
unsolved homicides, including the case of a pregnant mother of nine who
was raped and murdered on a Manhattan rooftop in 1989. In that case, the
victim's head was cut off by her abusive boyfriend, Philip Ward -- the
father of two of her children -- who currently
is a guest of the state doing a life sentence for different rape and
murder
convictions.

So, in the spirit of giving credit where credit is due, an alleged
kid-killer is behind bars -- and we have Cy Vance to thank for it.

We Recommend

When I was 7 years old growing up in Pacific Palisades, California, a friend of mine and my older sister vanished off the street. She was 11 as was my sister at the time. The three of us had spent our last few days of summer vacation over at the YMCA pool in Temescal Canyon leading up to her disappearance. It was around the same time that a man approached me while I was out riding my bycicle down a street that we had taken to the Y pool together. When a homicide detective showed up at my house after I blogged about my story online, he showed me a photograph taken of 'Alcala' taken back in the late '1970's', but, before he showed me the photograph I had shared with him a dream I'd had describing 'Alcala' from back on that day when the man had attempted to abduct me. Right down to his golden tooth, his wavy golden brown hair and his scrawny body. But, for some unknown reason, this detective remained dismissive as to my compelling account of who I still believe could very well likely have been Alcala when I was 7. Rachel sadly is still missing. It breaks my heart just imagining how scared she must have been regardless of who stole her that day in Early September, '1977'.

If that animal (Hernandez ) wouldn't had HIV he will never confess im pretty sure about that.. The crime that he committed is unforgivable .. Me as a wife would've known who my husband was.. I blame the family to kept that tragedy as a secret!!

Thank you Mr Vance, the NYPD, and the FBI! I hope that you can find out what his sick motivation was for what he did to this little boy. Thank you again for all your hard work, that brought this to an end. I truely hope you have the real perpetrator! Keep up all your hard and good work for the people of New York!

Sounds like a person that has a half a brian. Hates the law catching sickos that kill little childern! They did agreat job, you in your half of a brain have some thing wrong with the killer of a child being brought to justice?

THANK YOU, READER. Up in West Virginia and Eastern Ohio it's the pareents that kill most of thier own children. No one has the right to take a innocent persons life. More so a weak and innocent child. Now his poor parents might have some closure to this sad lose.What is this sickos problem?